From the World of John Wick: Ballerina

·43 min·3 clips

How does John Wick balance absurd action with serious world-building that shouldn't work but does?

This episode of Mad About Movies features hosts Richard and Brian Gill discussing the 2025 action film "Ballerina," a spinoff set in the John Wick universe. They analyze the film's place within the franchise and its director, Len Wiseman, who hadn't directed a major film since 2012's "Total Recall." The hosts detail the simple revenge plot where Ana de Armas's character, Rooney, seeks to avenge her father's death, pulling her into the world of assassins. They highlight specific action sequences, including a flamethrower fight and a weapons shop brawl involving grenades and tunnels. Keanu Reeves has a significant cameo as John Wick, which the hosts reveal was expanded through reshoots to better connect the film to the main series. The episode notes the late Lance Reddick's final film appearance and praises the committed, practical stunt work that defines the franchise. A surprising insight is the film's ability to balance utterly absurd action with dead-serious world-building, creating a unique tone the hosts compare to a "pickle pizza." They argue the movie smartly functions as both a standalone story and a bridge to future John Wick installments, with Ana de Armas's performance being a major highlight. The conversation points out a weaker nightclub fight scene where oblivious dancers break immersion, but overall, the action is praised for its intensity and creativity. The hosts give the film strong grades, with both Brian and Richard awarding it an A- and a B, respectively, placing it solidly within the franchise's quality range. The tone is conversational and humorous, filled with inside jokes and tangents about topics like the "Backdraft" theme park ride and MacGruber memes. This episode is perfect for fans of the John Wick series or mid-budget action films who enjoy detailed, enthusiastic breakdowns of stunt work and franchise lore. Listeners who prefer tightly edited, strictly on-topic analysis or have no interest in action cinema might want to skip it.

As heard by us

A loose Ballerina chat that mixes franchise math, action beats, and easy chemistry.

Mad About Movies leans into a loose, familiar reunion here, and that suits the Ballerina talk. The crew keeps circling the same question: does this spinoff feel like part of the franchise, or just a one off with John Wick DNA?

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Why you'd press play

You want a Ballerina check-in with franchise math attached.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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